The Peony Life » sweet&salty http://thepeonylife.com Creating memories through food Thu, 19 Jan 2017 01:07:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.19 Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey http://thepeonylife.com/2015/08/pistachio-crusted-baked-brie-with-honey/ http://thepeonylife.com/2015/08/pistachio-crusted-baked-brie-with-honey/#respond Fri, 28 Aug 2015 14:16:40 +0000 http://thepeonylife.com/?p=1323 Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is better than you could ever imagine it would be. Have you ever taken a bite of something incredible and you involuntarily do something ridiculous to express how delicious it is? Dramatic hand gestures? A favorite catch phrase? Random inaudible sounds of pure joy? Well get ready, because this is one... 

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Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is the epitome of comfort food.

Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is the epitome of comfort food.

Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is better than you could ever imagine it would be. Have you ever taken a bite of something incredible and you involuntarily do something ridiculous to express how delicious it is? Dramatic hand gestures? A favorite catch phrase? Random inaudible sounds of pure joy? Well get ready, because this is one of those times. You’re welcome.

Drizzle warm honey over the brie, flipping it over so the brie is coated on all sides.

Drizzle warm honey over the brie, flipping it over so the brie is coated on all sides.

This recipe is so simple and oh so delicious. 15 minutes start to finish and virtually zero cooking. Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is such a versatile dish. I picture serving this up for my girl friends over wine, a tapas style dinner at home or as an afternoon snack on a chilly day.

I’ve been busy studying for my annual re-qualification exam and drills. As flight attendants, we have to do this once a year and it’s always super stressful! Why? Because if you don’t pass, you no longer get to fly the friendly skies. That’s right; your job is on the line. This will be my 5th annual and you would think it gets easier, but it doesn’t.

Quickly pulse shelled pistachios in the food processor. Don't pulse too much. You want pistachio pieces, not pistachio dust!

Quickly pulse shelled pistachios in the food processor. Don’t pulse too much. You want pistachio pieces, not pistachio dust!

I woke up a couple of nights ago shouting my evacuation commands. In my dream, I was evacuating an aircraft with a fire in the cabin and my exit was blocked due to water. Just lovely! My fiancé was terrified but quickly realized what was going on. If you’re close with any flight attendant I’m sure you’re aware; we can go a little crazy when our annual training creeps up.

Anyhoo, the next day I was exhausted from lack of sleep and didn’t have the energy to cook. I wanted something low maintenance, quick and warm for dinner. I opened the cheese drawer (because cheese is always the answer) and found a piece of wild mushroom brie. Boom! That’s where this idea spiraled from.

Make sure to coat all sides of the brie with honey. This will make it easier for the the pistachios to stick to the brie.

Make sure to coat all sides of the brie with honey. This will make it easier for the the pistachios to stick to the brie.

It’s better to have an entire wheel of brie because it helps keep the ooey-gooey-goodness inside, but I wanted to use what I already had in the fridge. Remember, lazy and tired? No grocery store tripping for this lady. Just keep in mind, an entire wheel looks prettier and more put together. If you’re entertaining; I would suggest going that route.

Remember not to go overboard with pulsing the pistachios. A quick pulse is all you need. You still want the texture of the pistachios. Pistachio dust is not what you’re going for with this recipe.

I served this with fresh bread, prosciutto, apple slices and green grapes. It was such a great, casual dinner! You can’t go wrong with a 15 minute, easy peasy dinner that tastes like a million bucks!

I hope you love this comforting recipe as much as I do  xx

Enjoy this slathered on  fresh warm bread or with apple slices for a healthier approach.

Enjoy this slathered on fresh warm bread or with apple slices for a healthier approach.

Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This salty and sweet baked brie is the perfect thing to warm you up on a chilly day. It's super simple, with only 4 ingredients and only takes 15 minutes from start to finish!
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Ingredients
  • 1 wheel of brie, size can vary but I generally use a small one
  • ½ cup good quality honey
  • ⅓ cup shelled pistachios
  • crusty bread or sliced apples for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Pulse pistachios in the food processor for a couple of seconds. You want to break down the pistachios but you still want texture. You do not want pistachio dust!
  3. Heat the honey in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour over the brie cheese, making sure you cover all sides.
  4. Start sprinkling the honey covered cheese with pistachios. It's not a big deal if they don't all stick; just try the best you can.
  5. Top with pistachios and bake in the oven for 10 minutes
  6. Let it cool for a few minutes and then serve with bread or apple slices

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Prosciutto Wrapped Dates With Goat Cheese, Mascarpone & Basil http://thepeonylife.com/2015/08/prosciutto-wrapped-dates-with-goat-cheese-mascarpone-basil/ http://thepeonylife.com/2015/08/prosciutto-wrapped-dates-with-goat-cheese-mascarpone-basil/#respond Fri, 14 Aug 2015 10:00:03 +0000 http://thepeonylife.com/?p=11 These sweet bombs of deliciousness aren’t just jam packed with potassium & fiber, they’re an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin A. Dates are mainly produced in the Middle East and Northern Africa and are a staple in both cuisines. They can be used as a accompanying ingredient or as the main event. I first... 

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Family Favorite!

Family Favorite!

These sweet bombs of deliciousness aren’t just jam packed with potassium & fiber, they’re an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin A. Dates are mainly produced in the Middle East and Northern Africa and are a staple in both cuisines. They can be used as a accompanying ingredient or as the main event.

I first made these as an appetizer for Canadian Thanksgiving. I had family visiting from Canada and it was my first year hosting. My family appreciates great food, so I felt a bit of pressure to deliver a deliciously different meal, and not screw it up!

These were pretty simple to produce and the results spoke for themselves. I walked into the living room to see my fiancé and uncle with an empty tray in front of them, looking guilty, heads hung in their glasses of pinot noir. I call that a huge success! I was lucky to taste one before they were all gobbled up! As my Nanny T would say, “They went like hot cakes”.

The p-e-r-f-e-c-t  make ahead appetizer

The p-e-r-f-e-c-t make ahead appetizer

Lets be honest here; dates can be a little intimidating. It’s always a bit of battle to try and keep the shape of the date intact and not rip or tear them. I decided to buy a pair of kitchen tweezers to help simplify the task and I’m so glad I did. They’re inexpensive to buy and are quite useful if you like to experiment in the kitchen.

To remove the pit, simply cut across the top until you can see the very top of the pit, then remove the pit using the tweezers; leaving the date intact. It’s that simple!

Make sure you sneak one before serving. These will go like hot cakes! Trust me!

xx

Close Up Glamour Shot

Close Up Glamour Shot

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates With Goat Cheese, Mascarpone & Basil
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • ¼ (2oz) cup goat cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (2 oz) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup basil, finely chopped
  • 16 (12 oz) medjool dates, pitted
  • 8 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise
  • kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In small bowl mix goat cheese, mascarpone & basil.
  2. Season with salt & pepper, to taste
  3. Gently pull the dates apart and stuff with ½ tsp of cheese & basil mixture.
  4. Close dates around the filling.
  5. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around the date and secure with a toothpick.
  6. Arrange in the upright position and keep cool in the fridge until serving!
Notes
I use an herbed goat cheese and a tad more goat cheese than mascarpone. Enjoy!

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